My Perfect Piece of Art
by Idiot-The-Great
Summary: Deidara is the new guy in an organization of S rank criminals. His partner? The one who seemingly hates him the most. Will these two come together? SasoDei slash, OOCness. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

The ex-Iwa nin stared at his partner's hunched-over form as he remembered the words he had only heard a few days ago: "You will be replacing Orochimaru, Sasori will be your partner." Chilling winds broke Deidara's thoughts and brushed his blonde hair away from the scope over his left eye. Leaves skittered across Deidara's feet as the wind pushed Deidara's newly-gained cloak to one side of his thin body. Sasori turned his head, his hat now in place on his head. "It's time for your first mission, hurry up, brat."

Those were the first words that the ex-Suna nin had said to him. Deidara nodded. "Alright, Sasori no Danna...un." He answered as he went to follow his partner, for Deidara wasn't sure where they were going. Dead leaves crunched under the blonde's feet as he hurried to follow Sasori. Deidara caught up to Sasori; Deidara leaving footprints on the muddy, leaf-covered path... Sasori leaving thick drag marks. _So I'm stuck with the fat old guy, huh...un?_ Deidara mused as he realized Sasori only measured up to his lower-waist.

Wind shook the bare trees and the blonde shivered. He felt alone, unaccepted, like he didn't quite belong because... well, he was new to the Akatsuki. Deidara hoped that his partner would be of some comfort. The blonde was desparate to have someone to talk to, someone to get to know... he decided he should start with his partner. The blonde inhaled, taking in the air that smelled of wet leaves and rotting wood. "So Sasori no Danna..." Deidara started, not quite su what he was going to ask his partner, "how old are you...un...?" He asked simply, not wanting to bring up a subject the other shinobi might not like... he didn't necessarily want to be enemies with his partner.

Deidara copied his partner's earlier actions and placed his hat on his head, covering his blonde ponytail and somewhat obscuring his view with the paper strips hanging from the edge of the hat.

Sasori stayed silent and the blonde started to wonder if Sasori was actually to the age where he was losing his hearing when Sasori spoke. "What does it matter, brat?" He asked harshly. Deidara flinched at the coldness of Sasori's words, but he persisted. "Just curious...un." Deidara mumbled in reply. Sasori hesitated. "Thirty-six." Deidara was taken by surprise at his answer. "What...un?! You look about ninety all hunched o-" Sasori cut Deidara's outburst short. "Shut your mouth," Sasori paused, "all three of them." The blonde closed his mouth and pressed his hands together in an effort to keep them quiet.

Sasori stopped when he heard Deidara mumble "ew." Sasori turned and saw discust twisting Deidara's facial features as the blonde stared donw at his connected palms. "Ew..." Deidara mumbled again, "they're kissing...un!" Deidara muttered slightly louder as he forced his palm-mouths away from each other. Sasori turned back around and headed the way they ought to be headed. "Disgusting." Sasori remarked coldly as he continued down the path.

Deidara felt as if a cold rock had just been shoved into his heart, making it feel heavy and cold. The blonde took a sharp, quick, breath in and continued to follow the ex-Suna nin.

Dark clouds rolled into the sky, shadowing everything around the both of them. The muddy paths now looked like trails of black ink, left by some huge being that forgot to not drag the inky brush on the ground. Deidara's visible eye drifted from his partner up to the darkening sky. His palms lay upward. The blonde glanced down at the mouths on his palms and sighed. _They are disgusting, aren't' they...un?_ Deidara thought as he shifted his gaze back to the sky. Small drops of water started to seep through the layer of dark clouds. Deidara felt the cool drops of water hit his outstretched palms and he frowned.

"Why rain...un?" Sasori heard Deidara ask himself quietly in a somewhat whiny voice. Sasori didn't say a thing; the small redhead longed to be able to feel the cool raindrops like Deidara could. Inside Hiruko, Sasori curled his small, puppet-body closer together and attempted to look skyward inside the dark puppet, wishing to have the privilege of feeling the rain... just once...


	2. Found it un!

**Author's note:** My first fan-fic!! Um... well, I also have this story posted on my deviantart and Quizilla! so... yeah...

**Disclamier**: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, this is a fanmade plot. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

--

Rain splashed harder to the muddy ground as their destination grew closer. The mission had been to steal a scroll of jutsu and to kill anyone that prevented them from doing so.

Deidara's feet stuck in the mud, making a _shluchk_ noise everytime the blonde took a step. The straw hat had kept Deidara's head dry, but the rest of his body wasn't so lucky. The black cloak held tightly to Deidara's think frame. "So... you said we're getting a scroll, right, Danna...un? Where it is...un?" The ex-Iwa nin asked, trying to be helpful. Sasori hesitated and gave Deidara an annoyed glare. "Look for a large building." The redhead answered simply. Deidara nodded.

The blue-eyed boy moved his left hand up to the scope on his face and began to adjust it, looking for a large building. He shivered when his wet cloak slowly slid down his arm, exposing his skin to the cold air and rain. The blonde spotted two large-ish buildings. "What color is it, Sasori no Danna...un?" Deidara asked. Sasori looked at the demanding blonde and noticed the scope. "Oh...it's blue." Sasori replied when he realized Deidara could probably find it alot faster than he could.

Sasori waited for the blonde's answer as he continued to drag Hiruko through the mud toward the small, upcoming village. "Found it...un." Deidara remarked proudly when the large blue building came into view. Sasori scoffed impatiently. "Which way is it, brat?" Sasori asked. Deidara stopped at the insult. "Deidara...un. That's my name...un." The blonde objected. Sasori sighed. "Whatever! Which way?!" He asked impatiently. Deidara sighed, then just pointed in the direction of the building.

The redhead moved Hiruko as fast as possible...he hated to keep people waiting. They both approached the building. It was indeed blue... the walls had cracks in it and plants were growing along the sides and in the cracks. "This looks right..." Sasori mumbled to himself. Deidara snorted. _This looks like some old lady's house...un. What is this "scroll of jutsu" a cookie recipe...un?_ Deidara asked himself.

"Stay here." Sasori ordered the blonde. Deidara sunk emotionally slightly, but nodded, and watched his partner enter the building alone.

The blonde heard a few crashes, bangs, thuds, whams, whacks, and screams a few minutes before Sasori emerged from the structure carrying a few scrolls. "Hold these." Sasori demanded as he shoved the slightly dampened scrolls into Deidara's hands. "Damn... they broke part of Hiruko..." Sasori growled, mumbling a few curse words under his breath. "Hiruko...un...?" Deidara dared to ask. Sasori sighed. "I'll explain another time, brat." He replied quickly.

The blonde let out another sigh and only then did he realize that he was shivering. Sasori paused. "I'm finding us a place to stay." He told the blonde in a softer tone, continuing to pathetically drag the broken puppet along. "Are you hurt, Danna...un?" Deidara asked, seeing Hiruko pathetically moving itself around, still thinking the large puppet was actually Sasori. The redhead just scoffed at the question.

Dragging Hiruko along, Sasori came to an inn at the corner of the quiet village. He requested a room, and the two of them were led to a decent sized room in the far left corner. "Close the door and lock it, brat." Sasori commanded as he hauled himself, inside of Hiruko, into the room. Deidara glared at Hiruko for the lack of his given name again, but did as Sasori asked and closed the door. Clicking the lock into place, the blonde sculptor turned back to his partner for explanations. Deidara sat on the obviously newly cleaned floor, for it smelled like cleaner.

The blonde leaned back to lie on the wooden floor, his back touched the ground. He shivered, remembering his soaked clothing. Deidara quickly removed the drenched cloak and grabbed a blanket that was folded neatly in the corner of the room. The sculptor stared at the intricate stitches on the plain blue blanket until he heard a loud _KACHLUNK_. The ex-Iwa nin quickly looked up to see that half of his partner's body had seemingly fallen to the floor. "D-D-Danna?" The blonde asked in surprise. There was no answer from the person in question. A small black lump slinked out from Hiruko. Two hands popped from the darkness and began to pull pieces from Hiruko. "Danna...un?" Deidara asked cautiously as he approached the black lump. "What, brat?" Sasori asked in a much younger voice than he had inside Hiruko. "Um, Danna...un?" Deidara asked in confusion. The blonde took a handful of black material and pulled. "Hey!" He heard Sasori protest, but the blonde just stared at what was before him.

After pulling of the black cloak, Deidara saw that it revealed vivid maroon hair. He saw that Sasori was indeed wearing his Akatsuki cloak as well, so Deidara finished pulling of the extra black layer. Sasori realized what the blonde was doing and turned to glare at the blonde. Deidara stopped when he realized the redhead's beautiful red eyes looking at him. Sasori had amazingly long, dark eyelashes. His eyelids half closed in almost a lazy sort of way. The expression in this eyes somewhat hinted a glare, but the blonde saw the _I don't care about life anymore_ look in his eyes, a dead sort of look... along with some sadness that Deidara couldn't make sense of.

"Oh, um...Danna...un..." Deidara stumbled, his tounge feeling loose in his mouth so he wasn't able to speak correctly. The sculptor was surprised that Sasori had a... pretty appearance; contrary to his attitude. "Wait...un! You said you were thirty-six...un! There's no way...un!" The blonde objected. It was true; the redhead looked like he was around teenager age. Sasori scoffed at Deidara's remark. "I don't age physically." Sasori told the other shinobi. "How is that possible, Danna...un?" Deidara asked. The redhead paused in fixing his puppet. "I'm... a puppet." Sasori confessed softly, his head turned away from Deidara. Sasori went back to working on Hiruko as he let his last comment sink into the blonde's head.

"A puppet...un?" Deidara ventured, speaking each word slowly. "Yes." Sasori replied quickly. "Then... how are you living, Sasori no Danna...un?" The blonde asked cautiously. "I'm not, in a way..." Sasori started, a grim smirk playing on his lips, "I have a human heart, it's the only thing that can keep me alive... and the only thing that can kill me." The puppet master finished darkly. The blonde felt this was a tender subject, and that saying the wrong thing would mean certain death at the moment...but still, Deidara couldn't help but to venture further and test his limits. "So... you can't feel, Danna?" Deidara asked softly. The redhead shook his head solemnly in response.

Deidara felt sympathy for the other man and almost went to hug the redhead when he realized three things. One: Deidara didn't know Sasori that well; two: Sasori wouldn't even be able to feel the gesture; and third: Sasori would probably murder him if he did. The blonde sighed and settled himself on the ground, not sure of what to say to Sasori. Silence filled the darkening room, seeming to make the air heavier and colder. Deidara held his breath and realized that he was the only one breathing. Yet again, Deidara felt sympathy wash over him, but he bit his lip to keep it inside. The sculptor wrapped the plain blue blanket around him and dared to move himself a few centimeters in Sasori's direction.

The redhead realized the other shinobi inching closer and panicked. He didn't want anyone else close to him. He promised himself. _No more bonds._ Maybe he had already opened up too much to the young blonde... but Sasori felt some kind of twisted comfort in talking to Deidara, so he calmed down before speaking. "Go to sleep, brat, we are going to leave early tomorrow morning."


	3. Don't freeze, brat

**Author's note:** So, I have this story written down in a notebook...not all of it, but about six chapters of it...? So updates will be coming pretty close together for a little while...

**Warning:** This story contains shonen-ai/yaoi fluff. If you don't like boy on boy cuteness... you're weird..er... I mean, just don't read this story or any of the coming chapters.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the show Naruto or any of it's characters, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This is a completely fan-made plot.

--

Sasori watched Deidara huddle as close as he could to the blue blanket that was wrapped around him. Whenever the blonde would try to tuck some of the blanket underneath him to make the floor more comfortable, the blanket would expose his skin. (This was still wet from the previous day's rain.)

Sasori did the best he could to ignore the blonde and continue to work on Hiruko… but he found that nigh impossible when Deidara started to shiver. The redhead sighed and stood up. He walked away from Hiruko and over to the blonde, and, grabbing the extra black cloak he had happened to be wearing, placed it on the blonde's thin, shivering form. The trembling soon ceased; Deidara took a deep breath and rolled onto his side… his visible eye closed the whole time. "Hmm… Thanks Danna…un…" The blonde murmured sleepily as he pulled the cloak around himself and fell asleep.

The puppet stood still for a moment, not sure of what to do now… the redhead rolled his eyes and strode across the wooden floor back to Hiruko… who happened to take up a large space of the floor.

Deidara woke to clicking noises. The blonde opened his visible eye to see Sasori controlling Hiruko with chakra strings; testing to see if he fixed it… that's what Deidara was guessing. "So _that's _what you do, Danna…un. You're a puppet master…un!" The blonde concluded. "Damn…" Sasori cursed, ignoring the blonde completely. "What's wrong…un?" Deidara asked. Sasori looked at Deidara like he just noticed the blonde standing there. "Oh… I need something to fix Hiruko that I don't have with me…" The redhead mumbled absently. Sasori took a scroll from his sleeve and sealed Hiruko inside with chakra. Sasori stood and brushed off his somewhat-wrinkled Akatsuki cloak. "Let's go, brat." Sasori demanded as he strode surely in front of the blonde. Deidara noticed that the redhead in front of him was quite a bit shorter than himself… but he kept his mouth shut. The blonde quickly grabbed his damp Akatsuki cloak, and then hurried to catch up with Sasori.

The two shinobi made footprints in the muddy paths; clouds still gathered overhead, trees still bent wickedly over the path, the tips of the twigs teasing the tops of their heads. There was no precipitation this morning, but soon, Sasori guessed, there would be snow. The air was cold and stiff, burning Deidara's throat every time he took a breath… Leaves from the trees had all left and the dead grass had turned a yellow-brown color. Sure signs of winter. Deidara caught up to the small redhead in front of him. "I-it's c-cold, Danna…u-un." The blonde stuttered as he shivered under his Akatsuki cloak. "Is it really?" Sasori asked bluntly. Deidara nodded, to numb by the cold to care about insults.

As Sasori had predicted, tiny flakes of snow fell to the ground around them like little grains of salt. The young blonde next to Sasori shivered more violently than before. "D-Danna! It's cold…un!" Puffs of frozen vapor escaped the blonde's mouth as he spoke. Sasori realized that Deidara's cloak had probably still been damp from the day before, and that now, here in the freezing weather, it was probably frozen to the poor blonde.

Deidara stopped suddenly in the middle of the whitening path; snowflakes coating the blonde's eyelashes and hair. Sasori could hear Deidara inhaling and exhaling shakily. "I-I'm tired, Danna…" Deidara said softly. Deidara's lips were a tone of purple and Sasori figured Deidara was experiencing hypothermia. "If you sleep now you'll die." Sasori told him grimly as he strode over to the half frozen blonde.

Grabbing onto Deidara's arm, and frozen sleeve, the redhead began to pull his partner along the path. "I… can't, Danna…un. I'm too tired… I can't…" Deidara mumbled as he lost his balance. Sasori caught the blonde before he hit the cold ground; he didn't want his new partner dying. "Come on, brat." Sasori urged as he dragged Deidara along. "Sorry…un…" Deidara mumbled. Sasori sighed as he gave up trying to drag the blonde and instead placed him on his back.

He felt the blonde relax as Sasori still trudged on through the black mud, which was now layer with white on top… until he stepped on it, pressing the two layers together… then it became a mess of brownish-black clump-of-white.

The redhead took the scrolls that Deidara had been holding and tucked them inside of his cloak. "Mmmm… thanks, Danna…un…" Deidara groan through purple lips. Sasori set Deidara down and wrapped the extra cloak he still had tightly around the blond. Sasori picked Deidara up again and began to make the journey down the blackish-white path. Sasori looked back at the blonde's face; which happened to be right on his shoulder. The redhead gave Deidara a look the blonde couldn't quite comprehend. Sasori's long eyelashes were coated with white powdery snow. Maybe it was just because his vision was blurry at the moment, but Deidara thought he saw a little hint of concern.

Sasori shifted Deidara so that he was easier to carry… which was smart, for Sasori still had a long way to go. The redhead's eyes stayed fixed on the blonde for a moment and then flickered away… as if he were thinking. Sasori's red eyes shifted back to Deidara, their eyes meeting. From the look in his eyes it was as if Sasori were quivering as well, except this was more… down inside… in his heart… the only thing human left of him. The puppet master licked his lips to part them, then, in barely a whisper, he told the blonde, "Don't freeze, brat."


	4. Whatever

Deidara woke; he wasn't shivering… he was warm… and comfortable. He stretched his arm up and touched the soft object under his head. A pillow. The blonde grabbed the underside of the pillow and pulled it closer to his face. Deidara nuzzled his face into the soft cottony material and inhaled. The smell told him it was his pillow. He was in his bed.

The sculptor rolled onto his side and noticed the lack of his frozen cloak, for there was no bitter stabbing of ice on his skin as there would have been if his cloak had still been intact. "Danna…un?" The blonde called out quietly. There was no answer. Deidara frowned and rolled out of bed.

The floor was cold as Deidara made his way through the hallways.

The blonde came to his target door and knocked loudly. "It's Deidara…un." Deidara called through the threshold of the room. The door flew open, revealing the small redhead blocking the doorframe, his hand pressed firmly on one side of the doorframe; his body leaning on the other side of the wooden frame. "What is it?" Sasori asked impatiently. Deidara was speechless. His mind, mouth, and lungs didn't seem to be able to work together, his mouth hanging open slightly. The redhead wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak, so the blonde could see the puppet characteristics of his upper body, from his head to the waistband of his blue-black pants. Deidara saw odd things like a wire-ish rope coiled inside where the redhead's stomach should be; a door-ish looking thing on the right side of his chest; and, what Deidara found to be the strangest among the others, a small, circular, tube-like container that had the character for "Scorpion" in red ink painted on it in the left side of Sasori's chest. Veins curved wickedly from it. And all of this was just on the front side of the puppet master's body.

_Danna is a deadly weapon…un! Amazing…un…_Deidara thought in awe. Sasori frowned at the gaping blonde. "What do you want, brat?" He asked again. Deidara snapped back from his world and into reality… his face now red with embarrassment. He looked down at the floor, his heart beating faster than ever before. "Um…I… wanted to thank you, Danna…un, and…" Deidara paused to glance at Sasori, who was looking back at him skeptically. Startled by the puppet master's cold look, Deidara looked back at the ground. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "And I wanted to apologize for being a burden…un." Deidara finished.

Sasori didn't say anything as the blonde continued to stare at the ground. He was waiting for the redhead to reply to his apology. Sasori shifted uncomfortably. "Whatever." The puppet master finally mumbled, breaking the awkward silence. Deidara's eyes darted up from the ground to glance at Sasori; who was blushing just the slightest bit from being put on the spot. The blonde grinned slightly. "So I'm forgiven…un?" The blonde asked impishly. Sasori hesitated at the question. The redhead frowned. "Whatever." He answered again. Deidara's grin widened, but he soon let his face return to his normal indifferent expression. The blonde made a small bow. "Thank you, Danna…un." Deidara said calmly as he straightened up.

The blonde skipped back to his room, glad to be forgiven by his red haired Danna. Deidara sat down on his bed in his cold room. Rusty springs in Deidara's mattress made a squeaking noise when he sat. The blonde lay on his back on the old bed. He remembered how cold it had been, and how Sasori had helped him. He could vaguely remember the incident because his mind was numb from the cold… but he could remember it pretty well. _Danna cam be mean, but sometimes he can be nice I guess…un… What was that earlier…un? Why did I feel like that…un? Why was… my heart beating so fast…un? Why was it so… out of control…un?_ Deidara thought as he cuddled into the soft pillow on his bed.

Deidara watched his blond hair cover the bright red pillow case as he lightly traced the stitching with his right index finger.

The sculptor shivered and he suddenly realized how cold it was. Deidara sat up on his bed and made his way over to the closet in the corner of his room. "Time to get changed…un." The blonde mumbled to himself as he pulled a change of clothing from the small, cluttered closet. Deidara pulled his mesh shirt off and over his head; he threw it into another corner of the room. That's where the clothes that he had to wash went.

The blonde nearly had his pants off when the door to his room flew open. "Agh!" Deidara yelped as a cloaked figure walked in. "Brat, we ha-" Sasori, the 'cloaked figure,' stopped short when he realized that the blonde was changing and half naked. The redhead turned around to hide his reddening face. His heart pounding loudly in his ears… so loud he thought that the blonde across the room would hear his thumping heart. "Brat…we have another mission tomorrow." Sasori said, trying to keep his voice sounding calm, in control, and indifferent. Deidara stayed quiet for a few seconds afterward, but soon answered, "O-okay, Danna…un."

Having a response, Sasori left the room, his face still red from the embarrassing event. …_He's pretty… good looking… for a brat…_ Sasori groaned at this thought, but continued to stride down the cold, dark hallways to his room.

Opening the door, he sat on the grey-ish floor next to Hiruko. The redhead tried to focus on the large puppet in front of him, but his thoughts kept wandering over to Deidara and how open Sasori felt around the blonde. _Maybe… maybe if I tell him my…emotions…? He'll understand… _The puppet master thought carefully. He shook his head. _What am I thinking? No one understands and no one ever will._

--

Deidara, in his room, was thinking the very same thing. There was no way that Sasori, or anyone else, would ever understand him.


	5. It is nothing

**Author's notes:** Sorry it took so long... I'm lazy! --;

Thanks to _SoraOfTheDesert_, _NormalAddict_, _Fourteenth Guardian_, _marufu-chan_, _Kikyo Uchiha_, and _dieing all alone_ for reviewing on chapters!

**Disclaimer:** Me no own. (Lucky Kishimoto-san!) . 

* * *

"Time to get up, brat." Sasori told the sleeping blonde. Deidara groaned in disapproval and rolled to the other side of his small bed, pulling his red blankets over his head. Sasori frowned and stalked over to the messy bed. He pulled the blankets down, just enough so that the blonde hair was exposed, and started to pull the sleepy sculptor out of bed by his blonde locks. "Ah! I'm up, Danna! Ouch!" Deidara yelled, attempting to kick the offending hands away from his hair. Sasori let go of the blonde hair; Deidara rolled onto the floor with a soft thump. Deidara stood and brushed off his slightly wrinkled shirt. "I'm going to take a shower...un." Deidara said in a matter-of-factly tone.

The blonde brushed past Sasori and into the hallway.

Not two feet from his room, Deidara stopped and whipped around to face the other; blonde hair flying. "You probably don't shower, do you, Danna?" He queried, staring at the redhead. Sasori blinked in confusion. The blonde smirked triumphantly at the other man's puzzlement. "You're made of wood... wouldn't you just expand...un? You throw a hunk of wood in a river and it expands...un! Wood does expand in water ya' know...un. Meaning you have really greasy hair...un." Deidara hissed, sounding a little colder than he had intended.

Sasori didn't respond to the blonde's remarks. "Hurry up." He mumbled instead to the younger shinobi as he walked away in the opposite direction of said shinobi.

The redhead's light, echoing footsteps disappeared down the hallway and only then did Deidara nod and head to take a shower.

Sasori's heart pounded another painful beat, the only pain he could feel, that spread through his small body. What kind of control did Deidara have over him?

Why was he so offended when the blonde said things to him in a cold way?

What was wrong with him?

These were questions that the redhead was trying to sort out in his head.

Overreaction.

That's it; he was just overreacting; overanalyzing, thinking too deeply into the topic. The puppet master forced himself to brush aside the invading subject. He set him mind to think of the mission that he would soon be leaving on. _This isn't going to be easy, is it? Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse..._

The walk along the cold, dreary paths was silent. The wind shook the dead, battered trees and flew through Deidara's long hair; blonde strands tickling his face.

The blonde shuffled absently down the path; the breezes whispering, _'Say something, break the silence, I dare you! See what happens! Say something!' _The blonde thought this to be a bad idea... something didn't quite feel right. He tested this.

"Sasori no Danna...?"

The person in question, who still hadn't completely fixed Hiruko and was therefore standing out in the open, stopped walking, "What?!" He snapped.

The blonde recoiled at first, but then took a step toward his partner. "Is something... wrong...un?" The sculptor asked quietly.

Sasori was taken aback by his question. He let out a sigh and tried to compose himself before turning around and facing the blonde.

"No... nothing's wrong." He responded in a gentler tone than before.

Though his lips said no; his eyes showed a twist of internal conflict. "Danna...? Are you sure...un?" The blonde almost pleaded, though he didn't know why he was so desperate to know what was plaguing the other man's mind.

"Positive." Deidara watched the redhead's lips form this word so surely, but when he looked to Sasori's eyes again, the look of internal despair seemed to have gotten stronger... drowning out all of the other emotions that screamed to be released from the ruby red orbs.

That look, that emotion... it scared the blonde. It scared him that he didn't know what that emotion was and why Sasori was feeling it.

"No!!" The blonde shouted, throwing his hands onto the puppet master's shoulders; his thin fingers gripping his partner's cloak.

"Something's wrong...un! What is it, why won't you tell me?! Please!" Deidara begged, shaking his partner slightly, his desperate face inched from the surprised face of Sasori's. The blonde's facial features were contorted in anger, confusion, and fear; his pleading visible eye burned into Sasori's confused crimson eyes, making the two of them feel even closer.

"I want to help, Danna. I want to help you... un." Deidara added in barely a whisper, his eye lingering over Sasori's face until his eyelash-fringed eyelid covered the blue iris, so he could no longer see the one before him.

Deidara hung his head in silence, his hands quivering on the shoulders of the redhead. A stinging sensation went through Deidara's eyes; he squeezed them shut tightly to stop the warm tears from spilling over. The blonde's slim digits gripped the black fabric tighter, pulling the other man just inches closer. Deidara rested his forehead lightly next to his hand as he inched the redhead closer. His breathing came out in shaky breaths; sputtering vapor clouds escaped his lips.

Sasori was at a loss of words... he didn't know how to respond to the other. His hands rose slowly and settled on the blonde's upper am by his shoulder.

Deidara seemed to melt into the soft touch... he pulled himself a little closer.

The redhead opened his lips to speak, but closed them abruptly when a response didn't come to him. He pressed his lips together as he thought. Closing his eyes, he slowly let out a breath... he realized a reasonable response.

"You want to know?" The redhead asked quietly. Deidara's head tilted up at Sasori's voice, but then nodded when he comprehended the question at hand. The puppet master frowned.

"There are just a few things... I'm confused about... a few... personal things, and it's been bothering me lately..." He answered slowly, his voice gentle, hoping this would satisfy the other.

The blonde nodded slowly afterward, content with the answer. Deidara slid his hands down past Sasori's shoulder blades, resting them on the redhead's middle-back.

"Wha-?" The sculptor pulled Sasori into a tight embrace, silencing whatever it was that the redhead was about to say. The blonde's arms trembled slightly as he wrapped them tighter around the small redhead.

_I know he can't even feel this, and I know he may kill me for this later... but I guess I have to admit... the reason I'm doing this... is because I really like Sasori no Danna... I don't care if he's mean sometimes, and I don't care that I just met him... I want Sasori no Danna to be mine!_ Deidara thought, burying his face, which was now a hue of red, in the shorter man's hair.

Yet again, Sasori was at a loss. When it came to emotions... he wasn't cut out for handling them. Emotions didn't come as easy as other things to him, such as puppet making, per se. Sasori hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders, his left hand rising to set itself on the cascading waterfall of blonde hair atop the sculptor's head.

_**I wish it would always be like this.**_

This was thought in unison by both embracing shinobi. Sasori let his mind wander...

_Why? Why do I want it like this? I've never felt this way about anyone... especially not someone of the same gender. Deidara's different... but... why?_

Sasori brushed his fingers through the younger nin's hair, ever so softly, as if he didn't want to break the blonde, longing to feel the silky strands brushing past his fingertips. "Why...?" The word brushed past Sasori's lips before he could think.

The blonde's face emerged from the older man's red hair slightly, his blue orb locking with Sasori's red ones. "Danna?" He asked quietly, not as intense as last time.

Sasori let a small smile pull at his lips as he pushed Deidara's head back in its previous position while simultaneously squeezing the taller nin with his right arm.

"It's nothing..."

* * *

Okie dokie! What did you think...? Sorry if this is a little weird... I have my moments. R&R please!! I'll try to write more soon...!


	6. What do you say?

**Author's note: **Sorry for taking so long... I had some... computer difficulties. Er, **thank you to those who reviewed!!**

Warnings: Language and... perverts!

Disclamier: Me no own... Kishimoto does.

* * *

The two nin had started to move again, but at a slower pace. The silence that hovered over them was a comfortable one this time. Both shinobi had silently announced that the previous occurrence wasn't to be spoken of. Sasori wanted no one to know that he let his "emotions" slip or that he opened up to the younger nin and openly hugged him.

Deidara also didn't want his emotional slip to be known. The blonde was embarrassed by the whole even because he thought that he had, in a sense, molested Sasori… forcing hugs on the older man… though he did hug back, Deidara made sure to point that out in his mind.

"…Rat!" Deidara heard Sasori shout.

"Rat…un?" The blonde queried, raising an eyebrow at the redhead. "I said brat! You were just off in your own world or something!" The puppet retorted. "Sorry for having my own world…un. Or should I say imagination…un?" Deidara sneered sarcastically. Sasori rolled his eyes at the ex-Iwa nin. "Hurry up you little shit!" He growled at Deidara's sarcastic remarks… only he could use sarcasm… not Deidara.

"What did you say…un?!" The blonde hissed at the other. At the moment, Deidara thought it repulsing that he had hugged Sasori… he was a jerk, why hug him?

"Stop wasting time!" Sasori shouted at the blonde, who was now a couple steps behind the redhead.

Deidara stopped and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He folded his arms across his chest; shooting glares as sharp as daggers at Sasori's back. The redhead turned to face Deidara.

"What the hell?! Let's get moving! Now, brat!" The puppet master scolded, walking towards Deidara. His intent was to pull Deidara along by force, but it was taking will power and concentration to not hit the blonde then and there.

There was a small movement in the bushes behind Sasori; both shinobi froze.

Deidara, because he was angry at Sasori, leapt away and out of sight. In this case, that place was in a nearby tree.

Out of instinct, Sasori whipped around to face the movement, pulling a scroll from his sleeve at the same time.

"Calm down, Akasuna no Sasori… I just have… a request." A mist village ninja approached Sasori, emerging from his former hiding place in the vegetation.

Deidara saw Sasori's hand that gripped the scroll relax slightly at the seemingly calm voice.

"What?!" The redhead snapped. The mist shinobi took another step toward Sasori, his palms facing the redhead as if to say 'Don't shoot.'

"Actually, it's more of a favor…" He replied in a deep, collected voice. "Spit it out!" The puppet snapped. He slid the scroll back into his sleeve… he didn't want to risk revealing his techniques, though the man approached him slowly, as if he know that if he got within close range of Sasori, the redhead was practically defenseless.

"You may call me Hiro and-"

"I'll call you whatever I please, shithead, now what do you want?! I HATE waiting!!" Sasori snapped viciously, he was visibly irritated now.

Hiro smirked at the redhead's fuming outburst. "Yes, I'm aware of how impatient you tend to be… and your battle techniques, I know what they are… no need to be as hasty as to attempt to cover them up." Hiro cooed as he walked closer to Sasori.

The puppet snorted at the other nin's tone. Though close combat wasn't Sasori's strong point, his pride wouldn't allow him to move away from the man, it would seem as if Sasori backed away because he was intimidated in some way.

"What do you want?!" The redhead shouted irritably. Hiro took another step towards Sasori, who twitched in response.

"Oh come now, do puppets really twitch? Or did you force that human reaction?" Hiro murmured gently.

Sasori was taken by surprise at the man's knowledge of him… and the odd tone that he was using. A small smirk pulled at Hiro's lips.

"…What do you want?" Sasori asked again, sounding slightly defeated. "Hmm…" Hiro chuckled; it was almost a giggling sound. The smirk on Hiro's face grew, the mist nin rushed toward Sasori in one quick stride, but stopped right before the redhead. He lifted a hand and set it gently on the puppet master's cheek.

Hiro leaned forward toward the other nin's ear and blew. Sasori stumbled back slightly, confused as to what the hell this guy was doing.

"Yes, you really are beautiful. You must be a master of puppets if your talent has achieved this level of realistic ness and beauty…" Hiro whispered in the redhead's ear, which cause Sasori to stumble a few more steps away.

Deidara, watching from the tree, was confused.

_Is Hiro __**hitting on Danna…un?**__ Why isn't Danna just smashing his face in if he's so close…un…? …Or maybe that __is__ the reason Sasori no Danna isn't attacking… perhaps Sasori no Danna is a long distance fighter as well…un? Another thing… what favor is this guy talking about…un?! Don't tell me Hiro wants to rape Danna…un!_ _Maybe that's why he's being a pervert…un… maybe that's the favor…un!! He's got the hots for Danna…un. _Deidara thought in horror. Competition… even though Deidara wouldn't admit that was the reason for the horror.

Deidara's assumptions were proved wrong when it was explained after a very confused and angry Sasori demanded an answer.

"I, along with other mist shinobi, would like you, Akasuna no Sasori, to make weapons for us to use and for you to fight with us when we try to overthrow Konoha… what do you say? We will pay you, of course." Hiro explained slowly, staying close to the redhead.

"Hell no." Sasori replied sharply. "Why is that?" The mist nin asked in a mock pouting voice. The redhead glared at him.

"I'm not going to help you or your village for starters, I don't give a shit! Besides, I **won't** be in the same place as a gay-ass pervert like you for over a minute!" The puppet replied in a thick voice.

At first the mist nin looked furious, but soon his expression softened and turned into a fake pout.

"I was afraid that you'd say that…" Hiro murmured, placing one of his hands gently on Sasori's shoulder while the other hand reached over his own shoulder. Hiro made sure to keep eye contact with the baffled redhead, a smirk working its way onto his lips once again.

_Kssshhhhtting!_

He had unsheathed a sword that had been strapped to his back and the scabbard fell to the ground behind him. Slowly, the mist shinobi held his blade in between the two nins. He looked away from Sasori to eye the blade, looking at it almost quizzically, as if he had just realized it was there.

Hiro brought the sword closer to him and then looked back at the puzzled puppet master. Sasori's annoyed and confused eyes met Hiro twisted, wicked ones; the mist nin grinned.

"Hmmm…. Let's find where that 'heart' of yours is… shall we?"


	7. Anytime, Danna

**Author's note: **Well, sorry, this took a long time... --;

Thank you for all of the reviews, I'm sorry, I'm too lazy to find and list the people... --;

**Warnings:** Little language, boyXboy, perverts, OCness... and this chapter is slightly more graphic than my other ones... please forgive me for any flaws I made!

**Disclaimer:** Me no own Naruto.

* * *

Sasori stood frozen momentarily; thinking of his options. The redhead leapt back quickly, but Hiro was just as fast and had no problem catching up to Sasori.

The mist nin's sword swung wildly at the puppet, each time cutting the black cloak a little more. Hiro was backing Sasori into a corner make of piled rocs and groups of trees; the redhead didn't realize this until it was too late.

Hiro took the opportunity and stabbed the blade through Sasori's shoulder… the puppet master was stuck. The mist nin leaned in close and whispered harshly into his ear, a triumphant grin on his face, "It's a pity to waste such beauty, but I'm afraid I must…" Hiro ripped open the top part of the red cloud-covered cloak. The circular container with 'scorpion' became visible.

Sasori's eyes widened as the mist nin cautiously tapped on the character.

"Hmm… here it is…" Hiro murmured as he pulled a kunai from a pouch at his hip and its point to the vulnerable 'heart.'

_

* * *

Danna's in trouble, isn't he…un? Should I help him…un…?_ Deidara thought nervously as he watched the cornered redhead. _Would he be mad if I helped him…un? I don't know if he really cares about his pride at this point…un._

* * *

"I suppose this is the end for you, isn't it? Take this as my… farewell…" Hiro murmured before pressing his lips to Sasori's with bruising force, though Sasori couldn't really feel power behind the kiss.

The redhead couldn't push him off; his arms were pinned between his back and the rock, and Hiro's thighs pressed tightly against the puppets', making kicking of any sort impossible.

What was rendered the worst in Sasori's mind was the _taste_. Despite was most people thought, Sasori could taste things.

Hiro forced his tongue into Sasori's mouth and the redhead was even more desperate to escape.

It tasted rotten, bitter, almost, and completely wrong—disgusting.

The mist nin's tongue explored Sasori's mouth roughly, and the puppet tried jerking his head to the side to escape the forced kiss, but to no avail.

Hiro pulled away from Sasori's mouth and started trailing kisses down the redhead's jaw and slowly down his neck.

Sasori was afraid.

It showed in he eyes. The puppet threw a desperate glance in the direction of his partner…

Deidara was his last hope.

_

* * *

_

_Sasori no Danna needs help…un! Just because I was angry at him earlier doesn't mean that he deserves to be... raped, or molested, or anything like that and be killed afterward…un! _The blonde trust his hand into the bag of clay at his hip. The palm-mouth chewed slowly on the clay.

_Just hold on a bit, Danna…un!_

* * *

Hiro tangled his fingers in Sasori's short red hair, yanking the puppet master's head every which way to expose more of his neck. Sasori, of course, couldn't feel anything, but just seeing him that close, smelling him that close, even, scared him.

Every time Hiro moved his heart seemed to pound in his throat, making him feel like he was choking, suffocating and couldn't breathe.

His mind was blank.

He was out of ideas.

Deidara had probably left by now… the blonde had been angry at him…

* * *

Deidara held out his newly-formed piece of art in his hand and quickly examined it. With a nod, he sent it out, made it larger with his chakra, and blew up the explosive.

Under his breath he muttered, "Art is a bang, you dirty asshole."

The blonde's eye shimmered with satisfaction; the blast had made the trees shake and everything!

_Hiro couldn't have survived that one…un. _Deidara thought smugly as he leapt from his perch to check on his molested partner.

* * *

Sasori was confused; just seconds ago Hiro had been all over him, and now he was just a big, bloody mess.

The redhead slid to the ground, eyes fixed on the mutilated corpse. He realized as he tried to move that his arms were gone as well as half of his right leg.

_Great, so now I'm losing limbs! I knew this was going to be bad…_ Sasori thought, flipped his slightly shaggy hair from his eyes with a quick jerk of his neck.

Smoke hovered over the ground like a dense fog and Sasori squinted to see what had caused Hiro's death.

_It seemed like… an explosion…_ The puppet thought.

"Sasori no Danna?!" Deidara called from within the smoke.

The person in question struggled to stand up, but fell over again because of the half-missing limb.

The blue-eyed boy emerged from the smoke and spotted the redhead slumped against the stone wall. "There you are, Danna…un." Deidara said. He knelt down next to Sasori; a satisfied grin on his face.

"Did you see my art…un?" The blonde asked slyly as he decided to sit next to Sasori on the ground.

"What art?" The puppet master asked; avoiding eye contact with Deidara. "My explosion…un! Don't tell me you didn't see that…un!" The blonde exclaimed, making gestures with his hands for emphasis.

Sasori hesitated before answering, "Whatever, I didn't see it, everything just suddenly happened." It was obvious to Deidara that Sasori was trying to snap back to his usual attitude and forget what had just happened, but Deidara decided that he still needed revenge on the redhead for earlier.

"Suddenly, huh…un? Just like you were _suddenly_ getting molested and you were _suddenly_ scared to death…un?" The blonde sneered. Sasori gave a half-hearted glare in response.

Deidara sighed and looked around. "Where are you limbs…un?" The sculptor asked abruptly.

The ex-Suna nin turned to face the blonde and rolled his eyes.

"Brat," Sasori whispered as if he was telling a third grader a secret, "you blew them up." He finished through gritted teeth. The redhead rolled his eyes again and turned away.

Deidara paused, and then said, "Can you fix yourself…un?" Sasori sighed. "Not here, I'd have to go back." The redhead answered briskly.

Deidara hesitated; it was an awkward moment. The blonde shifted slightly so he sat somewhat diagonally from Sasori.

"Do you want to talk to me about… it, Dan-""No, I don't want to talk to you about it!" The puppet snapped. Deidara figured that if Sasori had his arms at the moment, they'd be crossed over his chest.

"I was just offering…un." Deidara stated as he rose to his feet and brushed himself off. The ex-Iwa nin looked back at Sasori. "I'll carry you back…un." He declared.

The redhead was about to protest when it dawned on him that if he tried to stand up, he'd look like more of an idiot than he would if he just let Deidara carry him.

Sasori nodded and Deidara scooped the small redhead into him arms bridal style. "Since you can't hold on, I can't carry you on my back…un." The blonde explained simply. Sasori just nodded again.

There was a long silence, Deidara just carrying Sasori in his arms and Sasori… actually not minding where he was.

"Thanks." Sasori whispered finally. "What…un?" The other nin asked.

"For…helping me; blowing that guy up." The redhead answered quietly. Deidara smiled.

"Anytime, Danna."

There was another pause. "Ya' know Danna, if you don't want to talk to _me_ about it, un, you could always go have a deep conversation with Leader-sama…un!" The blonde suggested in a teasing voice.

Sasori whacked Deidara's arm with his forehead before relaxing into the blonde's strong arms.


	8. Give him time?

**A/N: **_Okay, so I'm sorry I haven't posted this for a long time... I've been busy. Here it is._

**Warnings:** _OCness, crappy storyness... yeah... watch out for grammer mistakes that I might have made... it's kinda' late._

Sasori focused on listening to Deidara's heartbeat as they walked. Much to the redhead's surprise, Deidara's heart was beating quickly; an unsteady beat.

"Your heart is beating really fast." Sasori stated bluntly.

"Is it…un?" The blonde asked grudgingly. The puppet simply nodded. Deidara paused in his stride to readjust the redhead in his arms, and then continued the steady gait.

The blonde took a breath as if he were about to say something, but stopped short before uttering a word. "Danna?" The blonde inquired soon after.

"Hn?" The puppet glanced up at the other. Deidara hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it…un?" The sculptor finally asked. The redhead sighed in response; leaning back lightly and closing his eyes.

"Why do you care…?" Sasori sighed; truly wondering what the response would be.

Deidara's breath caught in his chest. He wasn't sure why, but he started to feel nervous. A tingling sensation rose in his stomach, and the blonde had to turn away to hide his blushing face from Sasori.

"I-I'm not sure, Danna… un." The ex-Iwa nin replied.

_What's wrong with me…un? Is it because I… __**care**_ _about Danna in that way…un? I shouldn't love him…un. I barely know him…un! So why do I feel like… he's perfect…un? The perfect piece of art…un?_ Deidara's face reddened more; he looked down to hide his face better.

"Liar." Sasori replied accusatively.

"Wh-what…un?" Deidara stuttered; confused by the redheads accusations.

"You know why, I can sense it." Sasori explained nonchalantly.

Deidara's eyes darted to the other, then quickly away in fear of making eye contact… Sasori would see right through him. "I guess it's because we're partners…un." Deidara replied absently.

"Liar." The ex-Suna nin repeated. The blonde sighed in disbelief. He was good.

"Well… you're the only person I've really talked to in Akatsuki besides Itachi with those damn eyes of his…un." The sculptor confessed.

Sasori laughed bitterly, earning a puzzled look from the other nin. "If you can consider me a person, then I suppose that's somewhat true." The redhead said grimly.

Deidara stared at Sasori with a look of shocked terror. "Why wouldn't I consider you a person…un?! You have a soul…un! And a heart…un!" The blonde objected vehemently.

"I'm a puppet, an object. A killing abject at most, that's it. It was my choice to be like this… to stay young looking… to be almost invincible… but that's just it. It's all just an illusion; not complete.

"No matter how much I try I will never be invincible, the only way to be invincible would be to die. Now that I think about it… I'm not a puppet, but I'm not a human. I'm something in between. I gave up being human –my warmth, my sense of touch- to try to gain perfection… but I failed, miserably, as you can see.

"I'll never be either, so, no, I'm not a person. **I** don't know what I am! But I'm sure as hell not a person, Deidara!" The redhead explained darkly, his voice raising to a yell for his last statements.

The blonde eyed the other with a look of concerned fear. Sasori had used his name for the first time since they had met.

"D-Danna…" The sculptor mumbled in an attempt to comfort the other nin. Sasori didn't acknowledge the other; instead, he just stared at the ground in front of them.

Deidara started intently at the redhead in his arms.

"Danna… I l-… I do think you're a person, an important person with a purpose, Danna…" The blonde said quietly. Deidara stopped walking and only then did Sasori turn to look at him.

"What are you stopping for…? We…we need to get back…" The redhead mumbled, turning away again. "Danna…" Deidara whispered, one again repositioning the small puppet in his arms.

"Go." Sasori muttered.

"But-"

"Go!"

Deidara bit his bottom lip and started walking again.

"You're a person, just like you were when you were little…un. You're parents loved you, they knew…un." The sculptor said vaguely. Sasori looked at the other man and scoffed.

"Love? Do you think love is real?" The redhead asked scornfully. The ex-Iwa nin flinched.

"I know that love is a lie." Sasori added coldly.

"What do you mean…un?" Deidara asked incredulously.

"Open your eyes! The sweet, naïve lie called love will never be able to exist in our lives. I gave it up early with my humanity, but you, do you honestly think that there'll be something as innocent as 'love' in this organization you've joined? If that's what you think you're about to get a tasted of the real world." The redhead replied solemnly.

The sculptor smiled slightly at the puppet master, who was still starting at the ground, away from Deidara.

"No, Danna, I didn't think I'd find love here…" The blonde answered honestly. "Not at first, at least…un."

* * *

Deidara entered the Akatsuki cave; Sasori's head resting lightly on his shoulder, the fiery, red hair tickling his collarbone. The blonde walked silently down the cold hallways using the smallest movements possible to avoid waking the puppet master.

Sasori showed no signs of life, which slightly frightened the blonde artist; Sasori wasn't breathing like a normal person would, though Deidara had expected this.

The only sign of life in the puppet was the faint feeling of his beating heart against Deidara's arm.

The ex-Iwa nin found the right threshold among several others and entered Sasori's room. Gently, Deidara set the redhead down on the bed against the back wall.

The deep red bedspread seemed to swallow up the puppet as Deidara slid his arms out from underneath him. The blonde sighed and kneeled down next to the bed, his hand brushing red locks from the other nin's pale face.

"What should I do, Danna…un?" Deidara whispered.

Deidara traced his fingers along Sasori's slightly feminine facial features, biting his lip in solemn defeat. The blonde had a sudden urge to cry, but fought it back.

Deidara rose from the bedside, his fingers lingering in Sasori's soft hair.

"Good night…un." Deidara whispered, a small whimper creeping into his voice.

The sculptor flipped his bangs over his eyes and left the room in a hurry, shutting the door silently behind him.

The blonde's light footsteps echoed through the dark hallways along with his unsteady breathing.

Deidara burst through his door and closed it behind him. The blonde kicked off his shoes and squirmed out of his cloak. Deidara collapsed onto his bed in a fit of sobs, pulling his red covers over his head in a vain attempt to quiet his cries.

_Stop it…un! Someone's going to hear you…un! Get over yourself! He won't love you back…un!_ Deidara's mind screamed at him. But his tears wouldn't stop, the sobs did quiet, and his heart didn't stop aching.

To Deidara's sheer terror, the door creaked open and a tall figure blocked the light streaming in from the outside. Deidara realized that this person wasn't Sasori, this person was way too tall and their hair cast a spiky silhouette.

The shadow flipped the light on and their identity was revealed. To Deidara's shock, Pein stood in the doorway staring back at him blankly.

"L-leader-sama…un?" The blonde stuttered, fear missing with his grief. Deidara began to tremble.

Pein took a few steps closer where Deidara lay curled up on his bed. "I'm sorry…un…" The sculptor whispered, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

Pein eyed him questioningly and rested his fingertips on the metal bed post, his black painted fingernails tapping tentatively on the frame.

"Don't bother lying… what happened?" Pein asked, she deep voice filling the room.

Deidara lay still in shock, his breath caught in his chest.

A ghost of a smirk traced Pein's lips as he lifted an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side.

"Sasori?" Pein asked simply, nonchalance fringing his low voice.

The name made Deidara freeze. Deidara figured Pein would know if he lied, so he nodded solemnly.

"Give him time…" Pein replied, turning to leave.

The blonde nodded absently as he watched the leader flick off the lights and close the door, leaving no sign of his presence.

"How did he…un…?" Deidara wondered aloud.

The ex-Iwa nin pulled the red blankets over his head and closed his eyes.

_Give him time…? What would Pein know about Danna… or just this kind of thing in general…un?! _The blonde thought, falling into unconsciousness.

* * *

Sasori woke with a start, his eyes flying open and looking around. The redhead relaxed when he saw that he was back in his room.

Sasori sat up and examined the blankets on his lap; he moved to brush his hair away from his face.

"Gah!!" The redhead yelped when only a stub of his arm moved. He had forgotten about the loss of his limbs.

"Agh…" The puppet grunted, jerking his body out from under the blankets.

"Hey! Someone open the door! Hey!!" Sasori shouted at the door, hoping someone in the hallway would hear him.

The redhead rolled off the bed and onto the floor, ignoring the thoughts that mocked him about how ridiculous he looked.

Sasori rolled over to the door and tapped his head on it.

"Hey!" He called again. Sasori groaned in frustration, he was so stupid!

The redhead heard footsteps coming down the hall so he called again.

"Hey!!" This time he heard the footsteps stop outside of his door and hesitate before turning the knob and pushing the door open.

Itachi's head appeared.

"Who are you calling for?" Itachi asked, sounding annoyed.

"Brat. Er… the brat. Agh! I mean my partner, the brat…" Sasori paused, realizing that he was confusing himself and the Uchiha in the doorway, "Ack!! The blonde! _**My**_ blonde! Partner…!?" Sasori finished, the last word half a question and half a statement.

Itachi let a rare smirk grace his lips. "I'll go get your blonde for you…" The Uchiha sneered, turning around.

"W-wait, what?!" Sasori asked, but Itachi had already left to find Deidara.

Sasori let out a sigh, which was followed by smacking his head against the doorframe in frustration.

The redhead listened quietly when he heard quick footsteps down the hall. Moments later, Deidara stood in the doorway, beaming at Sasori who lay on the floor.

"You- you needed me, Danna…un?" The blonde asked, sounding slightly nervous.

Sasori studied the blonde for a second; his eyes were kind of red and a little puffy as if he had been crying, his breathing was slightly labored, meaning he probably hurried to come to Sasori's aid, and there was a sense of slight anxiousness about him.

Sasori figured the last part had something to do with Itachi.

_He probably told the brat something… weird…_ The redhead concluded as he rolled onto his stomack.

Sasori sighed, wishing he could submit to the sudden urge he had to scrape his fingernails along his scalp.

"If Itachi told you anything stranger or anything at all, besides that I need you help, he was lying." The puppet said bluntly, staring up at Deidara.

The blonde's shoulders slumped a little and his convincing smile wavered.

"I-I know…un." The sculptor whispered, his head bowed down to look at his feet.

A cold feeling squeezed Deidara's body in its fists, and a stinging sensation burned in his eyes.

_No! Not if front of Danna…un!_ Deidara thought frantically, closing his eyes tightly, willing the tears not to fall.

But it was too late, a glistening tear slipped from Deidara's icy blue eyes, raced down his cheek and fell onto the stone floor in front of him.

See ya' next time... how 'bout some motivation? I might update more... ;)


	9. The Malevolent Matchmaker

**A/N: Okay, as usual I apologize for making you wait for so long. I'm just lazy. I haven't died either. I'm actually kinda' still stuck on the plot for this (I know, it's a bit late for that) 'cause when I started writing it I didn't really come up with a point or complex plot. sighs Oh well. Again, sorry for the wait… you can go ahead and throw… whatever you want at me. One more thing… I was recently told that 'blond' is for guys and 'blonde' is for girls… can anyone tell me if that's true? If it is, I'm sorry for putting it the wrong way for so long. I wrote a longer chapter to make up for making you wait so long. :**

**Warnings: Shonen-ai themes, swearing, KisaIta hints, KazuHida hints, Pein/OC hints(--****The OC won't play a big part in the story… I don't think.) … I dunno' what else 'cause I'm tired. .**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto.**

**-:Flashback:-**

"_You must be getting pretty close to Sasori." Itachi remarked as he sauntered into Deidara's room._

"_W-what…un?" _

_Itachi smiled, "I just assumed because he's claiming you for himself." The raven-haired teen replied._

"_He… did…un?" Deidara mumbled incredulously. He quickly shook his head, "No, you're lying…un."_

_Itachi leaned against the wall, "It's true… He requested that I come and get you-whom he referred to as '_his_ blond.'"_

_The sculptor shook his head again, "H-he probably just messed up…un!" _

_Itachi shrugged as if he didn't care either way and turned to leave. At the doorway he glanced over his shoulder with a small smirk on his face. "There's no harm in finding out."_

_Deidara stared as the other teen disappeared. _He's right…un… Might as well find out.

-:End Flashback:-

* * *

_Why did I have hope…?_ Deidara thought; another tear falling to the floor.

Sasori felt a pang of guilt as he saw a tear slide down the other's cheek.

"Blondie?" The puppet inquired softly.

Said blond swallowed a sob. "Sorry… I'll be right back…un."

Deidara slipped out the door and ran down the cold and dim hallways, seeking somewhere alone to get his tears out. The blonde didn't look where he was going, so the next thing he knew he had bumped into someone-someone considerably taller than him.

Deidara really had no idea who this was, but despite that fact he wrapped his arms around the person's waist.

The sculptor's forehead came up to the other's mid-neck, so he found comfort in burying his face in their shoulder. Deidara faintly smelled blood mixed with vanilla as he took in a shaky breath through his nose.

He choked out a sob and felt arms hesitantly wrap around his middle. A hand awkwardly patted him on the back in a somewhat-comforting way.

Deidara looked up; his sad, tear-stained face quickly turned to on of horror. _Again?!_

Ringed eyes met blue as Deidara looked up.

_I'm getting kicked out for sure, now…un. _The blond looked away from his indifferent and pierced leader as he chose his words.

"I-I'm sorry, un! I know you're gonna' kick me out or kill me now, but-"

Pein put a finger to Deidara's lips to hush him. "Why would I kick you out?" His deep voice asked softly.

"W-well, there's me with… my Danna problems…un, and now I'm crying, and-"

Pein shushed the blond again. "You're honest with yourself and others; you won't have any problems with trusting yourself people trusting you… unlike some shinobi that make a habit of lying. Those untruthful shinobi end up terrible ninjas as well as terrible people… I wouldn't even deem them worthy to be Zetsu's dinner."

Pein stepped out of Deidara's arms with a small, nearly non-existent smile and patted him on the head. "And… Sasori will come around eventually." _Whether or not I give him that extra push is up to him._ Pein added in his mind.

The leader turned on his heel and walked briskly down the hallway.

_Honest…? Well… I guess I'm being honest by admitting that I'm gay for Danna…un…_ Deidara thought; turning back to Sasori's room.

"By the way," Pein started from the end of the hallway, "starting tomorrow you and Sasori will be sharing a room."

Deidara turned back and saw the slightly amused look in the other's eyes. "Why…un…?"

Pein waved his hand flippantly. "Usually when people share a room they grow closer." He replied vaguely.

"So…un…?" The blond raised an eyebrow, starting to wonder if Pein was on his side.

"Where there is love there is a will to protect one another; therefore… less members dying."

Deidara paused to process what was said, and when it finally sank in Deidara's eyes widened.

"So you're trying to hook people up…un. Y-you're like… a malevolent matchmaker…un!"

Pein shrugged as if he was acting modest. There was a slight pause before he reminded Deidara, "You might want to go back to help Sasori now."

"Oh, shit, that's right…un!!" The blond replied, running down the corridor to Sasori's room.

"I'm back, Danna…un." He said, bursting through the door, slightly out of breath, "Sorry for running out like that…un."

Sasori looked up at the blond curiously before looking back at the stone floor beneath him. Deidara already figured out that the redhead needed help with finding some limbs… so he knelt next to him and started to look around for anything limb-like.

"Were you… crying, blondie?"

Deidara froze next to Sasori, his hands clenched into weak fists.

The redhead watched the other intently, waiting for any hint that could give him away. He figured he'd have to examine the blond to find out the truth because Deidara probably wouldn't admit to it if he had indeed been crying.

"I was…un." The sculptor mumbled. Said sculptor avoided the other's eyes as he started searching the room again. Sasori's shoulders slumped. He just came out and admitted it…?! It was a few minutes before Sasori found his voice.

"W-why?" Immediately the redhead mentally kicked himself for showing any kind of concern and for stuttering as well.

Deidara forced a small smile and turned to the puppet master. "Why don't we reassemble you before anything else…un…?" It was more of a demand than a question.

Sasori felt his heart sink, which surprised him, when he saw the blonde's forced, hollow smile. He nodded in response to Deidara's demand anyway.

* * *

The task of reassembling was fairly simple; Deidara just had to go find Sasori's limbs and the puppet master could do the rest.

Deidara watched in suppressed awe as the redhead's limbs reattached themselves to his small body. _That'd be handy…un…_ Deidara mused.

Sasori stood up casually and brushed himself off, making his way to the dresser across the room in search of less tattered clothes.

He scowled at his battered cloak and threw it to the other side of his room in the corner. Deidara watched the other rummage through his dresser, a small hint of adoration visible in his eyes.

He quickly averted his gaze when Sasori started to peel off articles of clothing. _Doesn't he care that I'm here…un?!_

The blonde's cheeks were tinted crimson as he glanced at the wall instead of his partner. Deidara snuck a look back at Sasori; he wore black drawstring pants (possibly pajamas) and was still rummaging through his drawers for a shirt.

The blond saw two silver, maybe blade-like objects tucked into Sasori's back like wings. _Maybe he uses them to fly…un…_ The ex-Iwa nin thought.

An amused smirk found its way on the blonde's lips at the thought of Sasori flying through the air on silver, propeller-like wings.

Deidara elaborated on this in his mind, he was clearly in his own world- his eyes were glazed over and staring past the redhead in concentration.

The latter turned around wearing a slightly body-hugging, long, black tee shirt. He walked over to the dazed blond and waved a hand in front of his face. "Brat?"

There was no answer from Deidara.

"Brat!" Sasori yelled again, this time right in the other's ear.

"Wh-what…un? Geez, Danna, you don't have to make me deaf…un." The sculptor said while rolling his eyes.

Sasori sighed and gave the other a half-hearted glare. "You were the one spacing out."

There was a long silence and Deidara took this opportunity to examine what the redhead was wearing. A light blush crept onto his cheeks, seeing the slightly tight shirt his Danna wore. He looked so… cuddly.

Sasori was searching his mind... he _knew_ there was something he had wanted to ask the blond!

Deidara spoke to distract himself, "S-so Danna…un… Um… Leader-sama says that we're going to be sharing a room as of tomorrow…un."

Sasori rolled his eyes, brushing his hair back with his fingers. "Of course we are… he always does this…It's like he's some kind of gay pervert or something. He tries, and succeeds, in getting two partners to fall in love with each other… I'm just glad he didn't try to push Orochimaru on me…"

Deidara glared at his palm mouths, which were drooling over the other in the room, before looking back up as Sasori curiously. "He… succeeds…un?" The blond tried to keep the hope from his voice as he continued, "Who's _together_ in here…un? I though you said there wasn't love in Akatsuki…un!"

_So he _is_ on my side…un… _The blond thought.

Sasori groaned in frustration. "I meant there was no love for _me_. And… well…… Hidan and Kakuzu are a couple… so is Itachi and Kisame. I don't know about Zetsu though…"

Deidara tilted his head to the side in confusion, his visible eye twitched. "What about Leader-sama…un?"

Sasori looked at Deidara, a mischievous glint in his usually dead eyes. "Why don't you ask him, blondie?" Sasori asked in a sarcastic and slightly impish voice.

The blond shrugged, "Okay…un."

The redhead's ruby eyes widened. "I was kidding. He's probably massacre you if you asked!"

Deidara shrugged again and turned around in the doorway. He set his hand on the frame, making sure his still half-drooling palm-mouths didn't slobber all over the wood.

"Aw, Danna, he won't mind…un. I'll be right back…un." _Besides… I gotta' know where he gets his good advice and matchmaking ways…_Deidara added in his mind.

The puppet master could only stand in shock as his blond partner left the room.

"Leader-sama…un?!" The sculptor called, peeking down the hallways. "Leader-sama…un?!" He called again.

Deidara ran through the corridors to the center of the cave. He spotted a tall, spiky-topped silhouette and he ran towards it, calling out to him.

Pein turned to face Deidara as he approached. Raising a pierced eyebrow in question, he waited for the blond to catch his breath.

"I've… got a question…un."

Pein nodded, which meant Deidara could continue.

"Well, you've been giving me helpful advice and you keep telling me to try for Danna, right…un?"

The other nodded in response, not entirely sure where this conversation was going.

"Where do you get it from…un? Do you have experience with this or something…un?!" Deidara asked vaguely, anticipating the answer.

Pein changed his expression slightly like he had no idea what Deidara was talking about. He knew what the blond was getting at; he was just interested to see if he could ask straight out.

Deidara sighed in frustration. "I mean… do you… like anyone…un?! Are you… um… dating someone…un?!"

The ginger-haired teen turned his back to the other and started to walk away with a tiny smirk.

"Hey…un! You can't just _leave_…un! I want an answer…un!" The blond shouted, slightly winded.

Pein motioned for Deidara to follow him. _Oh… maybe he was going to tell me all along…un. Where are we going…un?!_ The blond thought as Pein led him to the entrance.

The leader opened the rock door and motioned for Deidara to follow him out onto the river. The blond obeyed and Pein closed the door behind them. Deidara followed the other up the cliff over the door they had just come through. They sat on the top in silence.

"So… what're we doing out here…un?" The sculptor inquired, looking at the ginger-haired teen next to him in interest. Pein let a small smirk slide onto his features as he faced Deidara, putting a finger to pierced lips to quiet him.

Deidara rolled his eyes, but Pein pointed across the river to the land on the other side. "Wait and watch." The leader said simply.

The blond slumped in lack of amusement, but kept his eyes focused across the river. Just as Deidara felt his now-heavy eyelids drooping to covers his blue eyes, Pein nudged him in the side and pointed.

The blond wearily followed where he was pointing, but was startled awake when he saw a dark clad figure sitting at the edge of the other cliff. He looked harder and decided that, besides Sasori, he was one of the prettiest guys he had ever seen.

He was tall (though Deidara couldn't tell too well because he was sitting down), thin, and had what looked like perfectly pale skin. His hair was long and silver-ish in the front; it cascaded down his shoulders and stopped just above his waist. He had the same colored bangs that spiked down over his face. The back of his hair was the opposite; the jet black hair was cut short and it spiked out in different directions.

Deidara used his scope to get a closer look at the strange guy, he saw that everything he had assumed was true and also saw that he sported several facial piercings as well. He couldn't have been older than maybe nineteen.

The blond shook his head in disbelief. "You're dating that guy…un?!" He asked in a surprised whisper. The other looked down and shook his head solemnly.

"Wait… so you're a stalker…un?" The blond asked in a loud whisper. Pein rolled his ringed eyes. "Not exactly." He replied quietly.

"Ya' know… un… I think I should stop taking your advice and you should start taking mine when I get Danna…un." The blond winked, feeling the confidence in him rise, and started head down the cliff with a mischievous glint in his eye. He reached the river at the bottom.

"Hey," Deidara called to the mystery guy across the river, "he wants to talk to you…un!!" He finished, pointing at his ginger-haired leader.

The sculptor waited to make sure Pein had been spotted, and then headed inside before the latter could unleash his wrath.

* * *

Deidara walked back to Sasori's room proudly. He made sure to knock nice and loud.

"I'm back, Danna! I've got something you might want to know…un!" The blond said to the other behind the door in a sing-song voice.

Sasori opened the door in a flash; pulling Deidara in and slamming the door behind him.

"How… did you get out alive?!"

The blond cracked a small smile. "It almost sounds like you care…un."

Sasori stayed silent, fighting the crimson that threatened to show itself on his cheeks.

"You said I might want to know something… what is it?" The redhead asked impatiently.

Deidara quirked a thin eyebrow; why was he avoiding the subject? The blond hoped it meant that Sasori had been worried and he just didn't want to admit it.

"Oh… Leader-sama is more of a gay stalker than a gay pervert…un." Sasori looked at him questioningly, so Deidara told him about Pein having a crush on some guy across the river.

"Now Leader-sama might kill me when he comes back in 'cause I told that guy to go talk to him…un."

The puppet master smacked himself in the forehead. "You… what?!"

Deidara let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah… un…" The blond looked back as Sasori's incredulous stare and let out another nervous laugh. "Oh come on…un. How bad could it turn out…un? I mean… Leader-sama's a pretty attractive, right…un? I might've helped him with his love life…un!"

Sasori groaned in response and slid down the wall he was leaning against.

"Why does it matter anyway, Danna…un?"

The puppet master glared up at Deidara between the fingers covering his face. "He's going to _kill_ you if things turn out bad!"

The ex-Iwa nin paused, looking at the frustrated redhead.

"So…un…?"

Sasori glared up at him again. "So? So?! What do you mean by that? Don't you value you life…?! Even if you have people that love you and care about you and want you to come back? Even if you have someone that you need… or needs you? Does it mean anything to you…?" The puppet master asked, sounding slightly defeated.

Deidara shrugged. "Not really…un."

Sasori looked back up at the young blond once more before closing his eyes and resting his forehead on his knees.

"I think you're being a bit overdramatic about this…un." The blond accused impassively, sitting down next to the curled up Sasori.

"Overdramatic? Maybe about this, but any other time you still… wouldn't care…?" Sasori asked quietly, the familiar cold feeling washing over him.

"No…un."

Sasori held back a flinch at his answer and let himself sink onto the cold… probably the only thing he'd ever feel. He'd finally gotten stabbed in the back for caring… loving even. People didn't love puppets, he knew that, but… he couldn't help but want those feelings returned. It didn't help that he was somewhat cruel to the blond to hide his attraction to him.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid me! I made the mistake of thinking that maybe he actually…cared about me… and that he'd want to live for me… who needs him. _The puppet master looked at the blond next to him out of the corner of his eye; Deidara just sat there calmly, only occasionally glancing at Sasori.

The redhead mentally half-sighed and half-scoffed at himself. _But he doesn't need me… so I guess I was wrong._

* * *

**Okay, I had to tell about Pein's little crush 'cause I just wanted to make it clear that Pein didn't have some kind of attraction to Deidara. **

**I'm sorry for mistakes I've made in this chapter. **

**Gomenasai!! I'm awful to the readers I don't even deserve! **

**T.T**


	10. Honest Confusion

**A/N: I'm back with the tenth chapter!! It's unreal to me that I actually got this far. Ha ha. Thanks for all those people who reviewed, I love it more than you know!**

**I apologize, this chapter is very short. (It kinda' sucks too.) I just had to get something out before you guys came after me with a chainsaw! **

**Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto.**

**Warnings: Language, OOCness, terrible authorness**

* * *

Deidara cracked a heavy eyelid. Said blond yawned loudly and peeled his cheek off the hard floor.

_I must've fallen asleep on the floor next to Danna…_ The blond thought absently.

Deidara made to sit up, but hit his head on something large and hard above him.

"Ouch…" the blond grumbled. The sculptor rolled on his back and saw that he was shoved underneath something fairly long and slightly wide.

Deidara saw a strip of light and slid toward the opening. Finally slipping through the opening, Deidara knew immediately that something was wrong.

Deidara realized he had been under Sasori's bed, and all around the room was torn apart.

Tables were overturned, books and papers littered the floor, scrap wood, and remnants of glass jars covered the floor as well.

"Wh-what the hell?" The ex-Iwa nin asked aloud, looking around the room with wide eyes.

_Did Sasori-Danna knock me out while I was asleep? There's no way I would've slept through this… but why? What's going on…?_

Glass crunched under Deidara's feet as his blue irises flitted about the room, looking for his red-haired partner.

"Danna?! What happened…un?! Danna!" Deidara sighed and looked through the crack in the closet door.

Nothing.

The blond heard quick footsteps coming down the hall and then stop very close to the doorway.

Hoping to find Sasori, Deidara whipped his head around… only to see the blue face of Kisame, who sighed in relief.

"Where were you…?" He asked, glancing around the room as well.

"I was under Danna's bed… but, what's going on here…un?!"

Kisame ignored the other's question and shifted his weight to be more relaxed. "Well, that's good. We all thought that they got you too."

The blonde's eyes widened even more and he stumbled back until his shoulders were pressed against a wall.

"W-what are you talking about…un? What happened?!"

Kisame looked up at Deidara with skepticism, but his eyes softened when he saw the honest confusion on the other's face.

"Sasori probably knocked you out and hid you… guess he's not so heartless after all…" Kisame murmured, eyeing the littered floor.

The bluenette's gaze flicked back up to Deidara, "you really can't figure it out?"

The sculptor shook his head, afraid to learn of what took place.

Kisame's hands dropped to his sides with a 'whump' and he muttered something about "why me?" before giving in and sighing.

"Sasori was kidnapped. Some mist guys apparently had a grudge against you two so the only took Sasori… 'cause they couldn't find you…" Kisame paused to think, "but come on… they're so dumb, why wouldn't they look under the bed?"

The sculptor hardly heard Kisame's last question because all that was in his head was "get him back before it's too late."

Deidara rushed over to the taller man and gripped his shoulders, shaking him lightly, enough to get his attention. "Is he okay…un?! They didn't kill him or hurt him…un?!"

Kisame held up his hands in surrender, "I don't know! He was okay when they took him, but I'm not sure how long that'll last. If they were upset enough to barge in here and risk being massacred then they'll be upset enough to kill him, I'm sure."

The blond let go of the other's shoulders, pausing to process it all.

Suddenly he was out the door and down the hall. He sprinted through the twisting corridors to the entrance, and, spotting the spiky red hair, latched on to Pein's arm, digging his fingernails into the fabric.

"You have to let me go after him!" The blond blurted, he yanked on Pein's cloak sleeve for emphasis.

The latter looked down at Deidara and, without so much as twitching, answered, "No."

Deidara let his jaw drop. "W-wh-why not…un?!" He asked incredulously, yanking harder on Pein's sleeve.

Pein detached the sculptor from his arm and sighed as if he were explaining rocket science to a preschooler. "They're after you as well. If you go after them they'll just trap you. It'd be a hassle to have to get you. Besides, I'm not sure it's necessary to send someone to get him. If he can't get away himself then he's not worthy of Akatsuki."

Deidara felt rage boil up inside him, for once he felt like he could take Pein down if he really wanted to.

The blond dropped his leader's sleeve in disgust. "I thought you were different…un! Don't say you're trying to be logical because that's just… bullshit…un! Bullshit! I'm going after him and I don't give a damn about what you have to say…un! Unfortunately you turned out to be some mindless bastard like I thought you were in the beginning…un."

Deidara felt himself cooking down as he gazed at the cold floor.

"So if I don't come back," the blond continued solemnly, "I guess you'd be right then…un. Neither of us would be 'worthy.' If I don't come back… then I failed….un. Think of is as cleaning out your organization…un."

Deidara pushed past his silent leader and out the broken entrance. The blond walked out, blinded by rage, and got far enough away before his mind cleared and he realized that… to do this alone… he'd need some kind of plan.

With a huff, Deidara stopped stomping away and instead started pacing. A few moments passed of the blond tapping his temple in thought, his eyebrows furrowing.

Deidara paused in his stride; biting his lip and pinching the bridge of his nose. The sculptor let out his breath quickly with a "puw."

"It's no use…un! I don't come up with plans… I just… wing it…un!!" The blond found himself so angry that he kicked the nearest tree.

"Stupid Danna, knocking me out…un! Stupid, stupid, stupid…un!" Deidara added a kick after each word.

Feeling his foot started to throb; the nin took a deep breath and settled himself on the ground.

"I can't just sit here…un. I'm wasting time…" He though aloud.

Deidara stuck his hand in the bag of clay at his hip. Running his fingertips over the smooth, soft surface, Deidara pulled off a clump and took it into his palm mouth.

"I guess I'll do the two things I do best: take a crazy chance and blow shit up…un."

**I apologize for shortness. --**

**Reviews...? Motivation...? Cookies...?! 00**


	11. Full of Spite

**A/N: I'm sorry; I made you wait longer for this story than any of my other fanfics… This chapter is a little shorter because I really just wanted to get something up. My life has been busy lately… with all the stupid snow and stuff. Anyway… hope you enjoy. This is a present to you for my birthday. XD**

**

* * *

**

Deidara was starting to wonder if his efforts were in vain. He had caught some of Sasori's distinct chakra with a large chakra net he had cast a while ago, so he had pursued it.

Now the redhead's chakra seemed so far away, and it flickered in out of his range. In less than an hour of searching in the bitter cold, Sasori's presence had dimmed down so much that Deidara wasn't even sure he was on the right track.

The blond hoped that Sasori was simply far away, that being the reason his chakra was nearly undetectable, but he couldn't help but fear the worst.

Deidara stopped on a nearby leafless branch for a rest. Casting that net had taken a lot of his chakra, and he wanted to make sure he had enough if the situation demanded it.

Even though Deidara knew the possible risks, he cleared off some of the snow that covered the branch and sat down. He took a deep breath and exhaled a puff of frozen vapor. His eyes slid shut for just a moment, and he continued to just breathe. To just calm down, to just not think about the problem at hand; he felt better already.

He opened his eyes a crack and leaned against the trunk of the tree, knowing he'd have to move soon. Deidara held his breath abruptly when he saw a familiar figure moving in the distance.

"Danna?!" The blond yelled to them. He stood up and, jumping down from the tree, ran towards the moving figure, only thinking it might be a trap when he was too close to turn back.

Deidara landed lightly in the powdery snow next to the puppet master's means of transportation and protection-Hiruko.

"Danna…?" He whispered to the puppet, coming alongside the old sand-nin's body. The blond knocked on the puppet and, hearing no answer, opened the small door and peered inside. Nothing.

_I swore I saw it moving!_ The blond mused, frustrated and concerned. _I must be close, at least…un._

Deidara had no doubts that Hiruko had indeed moved; his eyes had never failed him! He figured Sasori's captors had thrown the large puppet out of where they were hiding, to keep Sasori away from it.

The sculptor crept slowly behind a group of trees nearby, trying to make as little noise as possible, now wary of his surroundings. Behind frosty trunks, Deidara used his scope to investigate the area. The blond examined the forest; the wind making the trees sway and creak and snow fall with a thump to the ground before him.

He searched for a sign, anything that could give him the next clue, but the nearly silent woods were unforgiving. Deidara was losing hope, he wanted to just blow up the entire forest because it was too damn quiet, but he thought better of it, knowing that then he'd never find his Danna.

The ex-Iwa nin sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground a few feet in front of him. His blue eyes widened and he felt a smirk pulling at his lips. Off to the side of the clearing was a strangely large rock, leading up to it were light drag marks, almost covered up by falling snow.

Grinning at his enemies' stupid mistake, the blond emerged from his hiding place and crawled through the snow to the rock, feeling its surface carefully. No levers, no buttons, nothing. Putting his back on the rock, Deidara pushed off with his legs. He felt the rock sliding ever so slowly through the snow. With a deep breath, the blond pushed with all his might.

It moved about a foot more, revealing a hole underneath with just enough space for Deidara to squeeze through. Sliding down feet-first, Deidara hit solid ground after about a foot drop. Light streamed in through the entrance and Deidara could faintly make out where walls stood.

The room wasn't big, only about five people could squish in, and it was dark even with the sunlight coming through the opening. The blond spotted a door on the far wall and he felt his way over to it, pressing his ear against it when he did.

He held his breath and listened… and after a few moments of this decided no one was there and it was safe to go in; or at least peek. Opening the door just a crack, Deidara peered inside. Cheap lights hung from the ceiling, dimly lighting a room with a large wooded table and several metal folding chairs.

He crept in cautiously, his visible blue eye flicking around the room. The blond, ignoring the musty smell, brushed past the table and around a corner at the end of the room.

A metal door hung slightly ajar at the end of the corridor. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Deidara continued on warily. He padded lightly down the dim hall, keeping his breathing quiet.

As he approached the threshold; heavy, ragged breathing joined his quiet, frantic breaths. The sculptor pushed the door open with his shoe, and it creaked eerily on its hinges. The room was small and completely square. The stone walls kept in the cold, and the entire room was lit by a haphazard hanging bulb.

Several unconscious bodies lay crumpled on the floor near the walls; a few bruised and bleeding, and some already lying in a pool of the crimson liquid. Sasori lay in the middle, his messy, bright red hair visible among the chaos.

Sasori was clothed in a straight jacket and his ankles were shackled to the stone ground. He was curled up with his legs underneath him, his head bowed.

"Sasori no Danna?" Deidara called, taking a step into the cool room. Sasori's head shot up, his burgundy eyes wind and full of spite. His face was smudged with blood, and Deidara fought the urge to recoil.

The blond took cautious steps towards his partner and called out to him in what he hoped sounded like a reassuring voice, "Danna…? It's okay, un. It's just me, Deidara, un. It's over…un."

The look in Sasori's eyes make it obvious that he had indeed been the one who had killed or fought the men that lay motionless around the room. Sasori's mind, like many other shinobi, was still hazed from battle, and he took everything as a possible threat.

Deidara continued towards the redhead, holding his hands in view to show he wasn't armed. Sasori's eyes softened as the sculptor got closer, as if he was recognizing the blond, to which Deidara took great delight.

Sasori's long-lashed eyelids slid down lazily, and he looked almost like he always did. The redhead's uncontrollable shaking ceased and his ragged breathing slowed as well; to the blonde's relief. Deidara paused in mid-stride and furrowed his brow, his blue eyes wide with confusion and shock.

"D-Danna…?" He whispered, not able to keep his voice from shaking. Sasori coughed in response and straightened himself up a bit to look at Deidara without straining his neck.

"Dei…?" He asked hoarsely, squinting at the blond. Had the blond not been so focused on other things he would've paid more attention to the nickname, but Deidara still stood shocked and watched the steadying rise and fall of the redhead's chest.

"Danna… you're… breathing?"

* * *

**Okay, sorry the ending kinda' cut off weird. And, yeah, I know it sucks.**

**Tell me how to improve!**

**And, gasp, another cliff hanger. Muahahaha, aren't I evil?**

**Review please! (and feel free to ask for some of the snow at my house…) **

**-______-;**


	12. Words Unspoken

**A/N: I've done it again! I had hoped to get it out a little bit sooner (okay, a lot sooner), but hopefully this'll do. I plan on updating next month... so keep on your toes! I hope that this chapter makes up for all the time you had to wait. Hopefully it will…**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

There was a moment of silence in the room as Deidara awaited a response from the other in the room.

Sasori laughed bitterly for as long as his fleeting breath allowed before letting out a sputtering cough.

"That's right." He replied.

"How did you…? What happened…un?"

The redhead fought against his restraints and looked up at Deidara pleadingly, "Help me out of these first?"

The blond obliged, rushing over and kneeling next to his partner. Deidara pulled a kunai from the pouch strapped to his leg and started to cut the straightjacket off Sasori.

After Sasori's arms were freed, Deidara started picking at the shackles with his blade. Sasori watched passively, if not tiredly. The cuffs broke with a loud click under Deidara's determined hands.

Sasori was lifted into the blonde's arms when the last cuff had been broken and the room checked for safety.

The redhead instinctively locked his arms around his partner's neck as they made for the door. Deidara kept quiet as the headed out of the underground hideout, not wanting to rush the ex-puppet into an explanation.

"It's… cold." Sasori breathed when they hit the crisp, open air. His frozen breath wafted inches in front of his face and the blond couldn't help but smile down at his partner's mild surprise.

"Well of course it is; it's winter, you dummy…un." Sasori glared up at his smirking partner, but his glare faltered and he couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto his face as well.

"I was so young and stupid back then…" Sasori mused after a moments pause, his eyes unfocused as if he were in deep thought. Deidara quirked an eyebrow to silently urge his partner to continue.

"I never thought about what I'd be missing if I weren't human anymore. I refused to look for faults or downsides. All I knew was that I didn't want to end up like my parents – dead. But…" Sasori trailed off, his eyes focusing again on Deidara as his attention came back to the present.

"But…un?" The sculptor nudged gently, shifting the redhead in his arms to see him better. Burgundy orbs locked with blue, just for a second, before dropping down in search of a distraction.

"But… being a puppet… isn't really living, either. I might as well have been dead." Sasori finished with a shrug.

Deidara stayed silent, mostly because he wasn't quite sure what to say. He wanted to tell Sasori that he'd take him anyway he could, that it didn't matter, but he bit his tongue.

The two shinobi listened to the snow crunching under Deidara's feet, settling into a comfortable silence.

The blond wasn't sure when it had happened; but as he watched the beautiful, and slightly vulnerable, puppet-master in his arms… he knew he truly loved his partner.

No matter how bitchy he could be or how cruel; that was all on the outside – the façade Sasori kept up. There was so much more to him than that and Deidara could see it in the other's eyes.

There were feelings shown there that Sasori had repressed in fear of being understood by someone – in fear of that person betraying the connection they had. He didn't want to gain something great just to lose it.

Even though Sasori hid it well, Deidara could see it. He knew that's why he was always cold and why he was always alone.

In fact, Deidara understood.

Maybe, Deidara figured, that's why he must love Sasori. Because even though he felt the same way, he was willing to open his heart to Sasori – to give it a shot. When he was around Sasori, he didn't think about the fear, he just thought about the possibility of having something great.

Something most shinobi never know or never deserve.

He respected Sasori's flaws, because he knew why the redhead was like that. Besides, Sasori wouldn't be Sasori if he wasn't cranky sometimes.

The blond chuckled to himself at the thought, stopping to clear his throat when he noticed Sasori staring up at him suspiciously, arching an eyebrow. The blonde's face flushed and he smiled shyly.

"Heh heh…un. I spaced out, I guess, un."

Sasori shook his head, elbowing Deidara in the ribs jokingly. "You gonna' start talking to yourself, too?" The redhead teased, smirking up at his partner mischievously.

The blond stopped walking and glared half-heartedly at the other. "I _will_ drop you…un." Deidara said, narrowing his eyes in mock-anger.

"I'm terrified." Sasori replied, deadpan.

The blond huffed and continued walking, tossing Sasori a few inches in the air a couple times and catching him – just to scare him. The redhead knocked his head against Deidara's arm and glared up at him as if to say "you couldn't hurt me and you know it."

Deidara laughed in spite of him shaking his head to try to ignore just how cute his Danna could be.

* * *

The blond hadn't realized how far he had really traveled to find Sasori until hours later when they _still_ hadn't reached the hideout.

He guessed that he still had a mile or so to go; apparently that was too long for Sasori, though, who had taken the opportunity to take a nap in Deidara's arms.

The blond didn't mind, he mostly just missed the conversations. Sasori had been asleep for over an hour and Deidara was starting to worry that maybe the cold was too new and too much for the ex-puppet or that his injuries were worse than Deidara had assumed.

Just as Deidara felt himself begin to panic, Sasori's eyes fluttered open and focused on the blond. He looked confused for a moment, but snapped out of his daze when Deidara spoke.

"Have a nice nap, Danna…un?" the blond asked in a bemused tone. Sasori yawned and stretched, replying with a groggy, "yeah…"

"We're not back yet?" The redhead asked dubiously, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Nope, un. You were quite a ways away, apparently…un. I wasn't really paying attention when I was going after you…un." Deidara replied, shifting Sasori in his arms again.

The redhead seemed to hesitate for a few moments in the silence, pondering something.

"You've been carrying me this whole time, too?"

Deidara nodded in response, and then sarcastically added, "No, Danna, I've been dragging you through the snow…un."

"Well, you _could_ have. I've been asleep, I wouldn't have known… Anyways, take a break. We'll get there soon enough." Sasori replied off-handedly, waving his hand dismissively.

Deidara arched an eyebrow, but didn't argue. He sat down against a tree trunk and leaned against it to support his and Sasori's weight as the redhead rested on his lap.

"I _am_ capable of sitting myself, you know." The redhead mumbled against his partner's chest, uncomfortable with the feeling of being fussed over.

"Not unless you want to freeze you ass off, Danna." Deidara replied, patting Sasori's hair matter-of-factly.

Sasori sighed, but realized that Deidara was right… besides, the blond was warmer and more comfortable.

Deidara resisted the urge to play with the mop of red hair that rested so close to him and, instead, decided to ask, "So, Danna, what happened…? How're you… like this, un?"

When Sasori didn't respond, the sculptor feared he'd brought it up at the wrong time, but he felt Sasori shift as he put his response together in his head.

"Well, like before, they wanted me to make weapons for them. Obviously I refused, but… the rest is kind of hazy…" The redhead paused to think; to remember everything he could, "They said they'd use _me_, that _I'd_ be their weapon. I said there was no way in hell I'd work for them, but… heh…next thing I know I'm staring at myself – my old, human self. They must've found where I'd kept my human body preserved…"

Sasori stopped to watch Deidra's reaction before continuing, "Then it became really unclear. They must've switched me over, and… I remember fighting them afterwards. Tch… then next thing I know, there you are, saving my sorry ass."

Deidara nodded slowly, afraid of the response he was about to receive, "Do you want to go back to being a puppet…un?"

The blond feared the answer because he knew that Sasori would want immortality. What man doesn't at least think about it? The blond knew that there was no way Sasori would want to stay human - mortal.

Sasori didn't feel the same way about Deidara as Deidara felt about him and he knew that. The redhead wouldn't give up immortality to be with Deidara or for any other reason. The sculptor knew that it wouldn't work out if Sasori was immortal.

He knew all this, but he still didn't want to hear it. Not from Sasori himself.

Sasori stayed silent, pondering this as he rested against Deidra's chest – which, for some reason, was getting quite noisy. Distracted, the redhead listened to his partner's heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"Was all that walking around and carrying me business a cardio workout for you?" Sasori inquired with a hint of mischievous in his voice.

Sure that the redhead had lost his mind, Deidara scoffed, "I'm an S-rank criminal, Danna, of course not…un."

Sasori smirked and the blond started to wonder what this was all about. "Why do you ask, un?" The redhead said nothing, but just smiled at what Deidara's racing heartbeat implied.

"Danna, un, what are you getting at?" The blond asked with a small pout, his blue eye narrowed.

"If it wasn't hard for you, then tell me, Deidara… why is your heart pounding a mile a minute?" Sasori asked lightly, only a slight hint of smugness in his voice.

The blonde's eye widened and his face flushed, realizing he had been caught. His voice ceased to work as his tongue tripped over words unspoken.

Deidara's eyes looked at anything _but_ Sasori as he tried to find an escape from answering.

If Sasori hadn't been right there in his lap, Deidara was sure he would've blown himself up by now.

"Seeing as this might be a temporary state for me…" Sasori started, "as well as a temporary condition for you," he continued with an undecipherable glint in his eye, "I might as well take advantage of this situation," he said with an anxious, yet hopeful voice.

His arms wrapped around Deidara's neck when he sat up to be inches from Deidara's face. He leaned in to whisper, "Before it's too late and I have to _wait_ for another perfect opportunity…" Sasori pressed his lips to Deidara's, hoping his assumption was right.


	13. Final Chapter

**A/N: So, this is the FINAL CHAPTER!! Are you excited? Well, I'm glad to be done with this story, anyway. I just kinda gave up on it, so I'm really sorry. Thank you so much to all of my readers and especially to those who left reviews. :D  
You guys have kept me going!**

**PS. Keep a lookout for some more stories from me. Check out my profile... there's summaries of some new stories I'm thinking of writing!**

* * *

The kiss only lasted a few moments before Sasori pulled away with a faint smirk.

"Wha- what the_ hell_ was that…un?" Deidara stuttered, his tongue flicking out to lick his assaulted lips. Sasori's arms remained around Deidara's neck as he rested his forehead on the blond's shoulder.

"I believe _that _was a kiss, Deidara." He replied sarcastically, "Did it bother you?"

Deidara's jaw dropped, he was dreaming, right?

"No, un! But… you weren't bothered?" Deidara felt stupid after asking such a question and bit his lip when Sasori just chuckled.

"I'm the one that started it."

This statement seemed to confuse the blond even more.

"Deidara," Sasori said to get his partner's attention, "I'll explain, just listen."

The blond eyed him warily, "Well? Explain yourself, then…un."

Sasori sighed, "I kissed you because I wanted to," Deidara glared at him as if to _thank him _for the unimportant information, "and," he interrupted, "I have for a long time."

Deidara raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Really…un?"

Sasori nodded, "I liked you almost right away, actually."

The blond just gaped at him, "But you were downright _mean_ to me…un. That doesn't scream love to me…un."

Deidara regretted the words he had said instantly. Love? What a stupid thing to suggest. Words really weren't on his side today.

Sasori smiled faintly, "I was mean _because _I had feelings for you. I loved you, but I didn't _want_ to love you, if that makes any sense. I'm telling you now because, well, now I have an excuse." Sasori snickered, gesturing to his human state.

Deidara sighed in relief at Sasori's subtle admission of love. The blond snorted moments later, _stupid Leader-sama… he had it figured out the _whole time_, I'll bet. That scheming little-_

"So, are you rejecting me, then?" Sasori asked, interrupting Deidara's thoughts.

Deidara narrowed his eyes, "You are really _stupid_ if that's what you think…un."

Sasori chuckled, "I know, it's not like you're hard to read." He said, planting a small kiss on Deidara's neck.

The blond felt his spirits lift as they started their journey back again. He loved… and was loved in return.

They reached the hideout and Deidara walked in, felling himself grinning like a loon. He gently laid Sasori down on his bed and got him his first cup of warm tea in years.

"I'll be right back, un… I've got some things to take care of real quick." With that, Deidara slunk out of the room and into the main room.

"Leader-sama…un? Are you here?" He whisper-shouted, eyes searching his surroundings. He slumped his shoulders when he was met with silence.

"You called?" Pein asked, appearing behind Deidara.

Deidara jumped and whipped around at the voice, "Yes, I did, un. I just-" He stopped suddenly when he looked over his leader's shoulder to see the "mysterious man from across the river" wandering about the room, wide-eyed.

Pein raised an eyebrow and followed Deidara's gaze.

"Oh, never mind him," he said with a nearly non-existent fond smile, "what is it?"

_So he went and talked to him after all…un…_ Deidara thought with a smirk. "I came to thank you…un."

"Thank me? For what, may I ask?"

Deidara smiled, "You _know_ what…un."

Pein gave him a indecipherable look. "So it all worked out for you? I presume you've found everything you've been searching for."

Deidara nodded, "Certainly…un."

Pein gave him an almost-smile, "then you're welcome." And he disappeared with the mysterious man in a second.

Deidara smiled and all but floated back to his room where Sasori now lay sleeping.

Laying down next to the redhead and wrapping his arms around him, Deidara found one perfection that he wanted to last forever.

FIN


End file.
